August 6, 1874. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



125 



not sufficiently abundant to be injurioua to the Honeysuckle, 

 upon which the caterpillar and chrysalis have been taken, so 

 that our admiration of it is not checked by any apprehensions. 

 It is curious that in the autumn and winter months this small 

 insect abides unmoved in some resting place it has chosen, 

 keeping closely pressed to the wall until the spring with its 

 genial warmth stirs it up to active life. — J. R. S. C. 



THE LARGE VINEKY AT LONGLEAT. 

 In the notes we made of a visit to Longleat, in Wiltshire, 

 twelve months ago, we remarked that the great vinery which 

 has been erected there since Mr. Taylor took the management 

 of the garden was in our opinion the finest in the kingdom. 

 We have never seen anything to compare with it, with the 

 exception of that at Chiswick, which, it must be remembered, 

 was built for a conservatory and not for a vinery. We are 



now enabled to give a representation and description of this 

 remarkable structure. 



This magnificent vinery (represented in fig. 40), is 216 feet 

 long and 30 feet wide in the clear. It is divided into three 

 compartments, the first of which, 5G feet in length, is planted 

 with Black Hamburgh and one plant of Chaptal. The second 

 division, with the exception uf one plant of Golden Champion, 

 is entirely devoted to Muscat of Alexandria. The third division 

 has one Trebbiano, one Mrs. Pince, one Strawberry Grape, 

 two Madresfield Court, two Muscat of Alexandria, one Gros 

 Guillaume, ten Lady Downe's, and eighteen AUcante. Madres- 

 field Court is to be removed from this division, not because it 

 is not a good Grape — it is one of the best in existence — but 

 it is not a late-keeping Grape, and ought to be in the Ham- 

 burgh house if it cannot have a house to itself. 



The Muscats are planted 7 feet apart, and are not kept so 

 closely pinohed-in as Vines usually are. The treatment seems 



Fi^'. 40.— The l.^rge vinery at longleat. 



thoroughly', to agree with them, for it has rarely been our lot 

 to see such a house of Muscats. The plants were struck from 

 eyes in 1870, an4 were planted in .Inly of the same year ; but 

 they look much older, and are carrying a crop of six or seven 

 large bunches each, the berries of which are so closely packed 

 together, that those who consider the Muscat of Alexandria a 

 shy setter might fancy it was another variety. This, how- 

 ever, is not the case. The success is brought about by Mr. 

 Taylor's common-sense way of treating Muscats Uke other 

 Grapes instead of coddUng or roasting them with a high night 

 temperature, 55'' being considered quite high enough during 

 the flowering period. The Grapes are now changing colour 

 beautifully, and promise to be all that can be wished for. 

 None of the Vines in this range are to be forced : it is intended 

 merely to supply Grapes from August to April. 



The borders were formed in the simplest possible manner, 

 turf being ploughed-up and carted at once, and fitted together 

 in its place Uke so many bricks, only there was no mortar used ; 

 a very slight sprinkling of boiled 1-inch bones, about a hand- 

 ful to a cartload, being all that was mixed with it. The 

 bottom, being a blue clay, was concreted and well drained. 

 The border is at present confined to the inside of the house, 

 and there is likely by present appearances to be sufficient room 

 there for the roots for some years to come, but there is pro- 

 vision made tor outside borders when necessary. 



There are in each division a tank and pump, into which the 

 rain water is conducted, and there is also provision to let in 

 water from another source when the rain water fails. 



The heating (by Messrs. Weeks), is also done in a simple 

 and most effectual manner, there being not a single dip in the 

 whole an'angement ; consequently it always works with a com- 

 paratively small amount of fuel, and there is never any diffi- 

 culty about the circulation. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



An old and valued friend writes from Toronto: — "Last 

 winter in Canada was on the whole a moderate one, but with 

 some excessively severe weather occasionally. The spring was 

 very backward — two weeks later than usual — and the summer 

 has been cool, with frequent heavy thunderstorms. The fruit 

 crop will be good in some parts, and very indifferent in others. 

 Strawberries are at the height of the season now (.July 1.3), 

 but very acid, and lacking flavour; Cherries badly cracked on 

 account of the rains; Currants just turning colour; Goose- 

 berries nil. Tho Colorado Potato beetle has been very de- 

 structive, taking off whole fields, and utterly destroying the 

 crop." 



At the Lincolnshire Aokicultukal Show, among the 



most interesting objects, were the seed stands exhibited for 



